REVOLUTION DAY

February has arguably the most pleasant weather in Chongkham.Just the right amount of warm,soothing sunshine all day which made lying on the grass so  blissfull during class breaks.The Bereng and the Digaru rivers surrounded the island village of Alubari with their green,clear waters unlike summer months when they were muddy and ferocious.Especially the Digaru which was known locally as 'Pagla Nadi' (mad river) because it changed its course every year and thus made the task of building a permanent bridge across it very difficult.Now they were picnic spots littered with empty rum-whisky bottles,bamboo mugs,paper plates,animal skulls-rib cages.


Every morning the colony of monkeys inhabiting the jungle on the other side of the Namsai-Tezu National Highway beside the school would disturb our 5:30 am morning studies with their non-stop cacophony though it was a spectacle watching them effortlessly jumping between branches 20-30 meters above.


But February 2002 was  not about the warm sunshine or the monkey spectacle.There was something else waiting to happen at school.

It was a relaxed Friday morning. The guys were busy playing games – Mario, Prince of Persia, Sky – during Computer class. Shahid, the school peon came to call Pongpeng that his parents were at the Principal’s office. Minutes later, Pongpeng returned to call us loudly ,

“Boys ! Come !”

Instinctively the guys sensed what was wrong. There was a realization that ‘the day’ had at last come. An envelope of seriousness filled up the atmosphere. As we were wearing shoes and descending the stairs, the Secretary Ma’am was waiting there, red-faced, more broken than angry. She cried at us in Assamese,

“What have all of you done !! Why did you beat up my teacher? Beating my teacher means beating me ! Now that you are in Class X, who do you think you are? Some sort of Dada?”

Yes, the day before yesterday the guys in our class had beaten up Rai Sir at hostel. They were sure no one  would get caught as the attack was well-planned and executed in the dark. The day after the attack none of the teachers discussed about the incident. It was as if nothing happened.

Until today.

The group went to the Principal’s office. Pongpeng’s parents were present , engaged in a heated discussion with the teachers – Maan Singh, Baanke Lal and the Principal. Secretary Ma’am again started her high decibel lecture and repeatedly exclaimed in disbelief at the outrageousness of the act. Maan Singh joined in as a supporting actor in this loud theatre that was going on, saying he didn’t care if the whole class was  handed a T.C. (Transfer Certificate) and expelled. He further claimed that there was no scarcity of students as 2-3 candidates come for admission here everyday. To which one of the guys at the back whispered in a low tone ,

“Baal Kela ! Who would come to this school to eat the pig food that’s served here everyday ?”

Now it was Pongpeng’s mom’s turn to join in,

“Look at your friend Pongpeng ! He has been caught and handed a T.C. If you have real unity, then try to save your friend.”

Pongpeng’s mom was deeply hurt and humiliated that her son was the only one caught and expelled. Whereas his dad was sitting close by, calm and quiet.

The Principal took out a bundle of T.C.s and informed us that he was ready to sign them right then if we wanted. All the guys were quiet. He kept repeating what was the need for us to take such a giant step to beat our own teacher.

Rai Sir entered the room. He told us politely that he had come to this school only to teach us, not to earn a salary. Otherwise he could have lived off his family’s ancestral land. And added that only when we become teachers , we’ll understand how hard it is to be a teacher in a private school.

Baanke Lal joined in support now,

“We won’t get a Bharat Ratna for teaching you !”

It’s true that teachers at our school had to live off a meagre salary of only 5000 rupees a month.

Buoyed by our continuous silence, it was the right time for Maan Singh to force his volcano to erupt.

 

“Where is Binod?” , he screamed his lungs out.

He pulled Binod from among our group , caught his collar and brought his fist close to Binod’s face. Binod was the one who had threatened Mondira baideo, the ayah to switch off all the lights in the dorm minutes before Rai Sir was to enter the hostel on that fateful night. And she had confessed it to Maan Singh the next day.

“How dare you threaten someone elder than you ! I’ll break your nose !” , screamed Maan Singh. We had never seen this lion avatar of Maan Singh before.

Maan Singh could’ve become  a bigger braveheart that day but his histrionics were cut short as Pongpeng’s mom, having seen Rai Sir entering the office followed after him.

“So many boys attacked you. Why only my son was caught?”, she wanted the answer from Rai Sir.

Rai Sir explained to her that yes, many boys attacked him ,some punched him, kicked him. Even he was compelled to  punch back in self-defence. He couldn’t see everyone in the dark but he clearly understood the one who was throttling his neck was none other than Pongpeng.

The mother couldn’t believe this. She accused Rai Sir of lying and said that he had come with a pre-planned presumption that her son was his enemy. She left the office , frustrated and deeply hurt. Pongpeng entered the room and shouted that if he was handed a T.C. then the same should be applied to all as everyone except X, Y and Z were involved with him. The rest of the guys were still quiet. The Principal argued that let everyone’s parents come and then he’d decide.

The guys came out of the office and got the chance to discuss at last. Pongpeng kept repeating we should all demand for T.C. so that the whole class will become empty and people would laugh that there’s not even a single boy in Class X in this school. After that the authorities would’ve to take them back to save themselves from humiliation. Tezes and Makyon did that but the Principal was adamant that he’d first discuss with all their parents.

The only option left now was to take the next step – Operation Escape.

The seriousness of the morning transformed into excitement of freedom. X, Y and Z wanted to be a part of the adventure too but the guys themselves and the seniors prevented them as they had done nothing wrong. Z was relieved as  he lived just across the Island and would’ve been sent back by his father to the school the same day. Of course with added  doses of cruel fatherly beatings.

 X, Y and Z followed the group to see them off at the main gate. Paani Kumra, the Social Science teacher stopped X, Y, Z and tried his hand at delivering an inspiring speech,

“You just concentrate on your career, not your friends. After you pass out, none of these so-called friends will remember you. You’ll thank me one day for stopping you.”

Paani Kumra expected a thanks of gratitude at that moment.

“No, Sir. We were just going till the gate to see off our friends, not running away.”

“Oh….Aaaa….Hmmmm….That’s good.That’s good.”

By afternoon the Principal’s office had recieved calls from worried parents about the whereabouts of  their children. Only X, Y , Z knew where they were. The guys had planned to spend the night at the Chongkham I.B. (Inspection Bungalow). Run away and do what? No one planned anything beyond that. They’d take whatever comes their way. But no one at school , not even X, Y, Z had any idea when the guys would return. Until the juniors announced at dinner time that ‘the guys’ had come back. And there they were , entering in a group with the swagger of rockstars who had kept the school tradition alive. The tradition of students revolting against teachers and running away every year.

Everyone got to know about the road trip after dinner. The guys didn’t spend the day at Chongkham I.B. Instead they boarded a random truck on the way and reached Namsai. Tezes’s father saw the guys loitering around in Namsai and took them to the house where they did nothing but watch T.V. , eat and sleep. Karsen informed his dad where he was. The guys thought they would all be going to Karsen’s home next but his dad brought them back to school instead.

 

When the guys and Karsen’s dad reached the school, LBJ Sir (Bogus) debarred everyone from entering by standing behind the main gate and refusing to open it. After much heated discussion he allowed only Karsen’s dad to enter. The boys’ temper shot up collectively at seeing Bogus speaking rudely to Karsen’s dad. All of them scaled the walls and the high main gate, jumped down and ran towards Bogus. But if not for the presence of Karsen’s dad, Bogus would’ve been another casualty. Tempers cooled down after heated exchanges from both sides. The seniors later remarked that seeing the boys jump from the gate and the walls was such an adrenaline rush. Awesome action !

THE FATEFUL NIGHT

Every explosion  has its origin in a little spark. An incident lit up the little spark that fateful night.

The school never encouraged interaction between boys and girls. Those who did so were looked down upon like some sort of anti-socials and good-for-nothing life wasters. This attitude encouraged hatred for girls. Couples could meet peacefully only early morning at 3-4 am in places like behind the massive bio-gas plant. Some of the guys started having feelings for other guys at hostel. Guys started finding cute junior boys attractive.

There were different kinds of guy lovers. The 1^st kind was harmless. They’d choose a favorite kid for themselves, make him his ‘unofficial’ brother, buy him treats, call him to sleep with him at night.

The 2^nd kind showed no kind of brotherly love for their so called ‘partners’. Most of their partners were from the  same age group. They’d lock lips at night , sleep together , sometimes semi-nude. 

That fateful night Rai Sir had caught a junior in Pongpeng’s bed. He didn’t know Pongpeng belonged to the 1^st kind. He manhandled the poor, little kid onto the floor , sat over him and gave him the beating of his life. Instead of using a stick on the kid’s palm , he preferred to punch and slap and wrestle. There were bruises from head to toe tattooed on the unlucky kid’s battered figure.

Rai Sir went for dinner. At hostel, everyone agreed that the way the kid was punished was far too harsh than necessary.

“Something needs to be done ! ” Pongpeng was waiting to explode like a volcano inside. He wouldn’t be at peace with himself unless there was a way to let go off his steam. Pongpeng had a discussion with the class guys. The guys supported whole-heartedly. This was not the 1^st case of violent punishment from Rai Sir. He never beat students when he was new here. But the past 1 month, he had become increasingly short-tempered and violent. One of the guys was caught aiming torch lights on girls from the 1^st floor boys’ hostel whenever they came for early morning studies. Rai Sir beat the guy with broken wooden poles (separated from beds) till the lines on the culprit’s palms tore apart and bled.

The plan was to attack Sir when he returned to the hostel after dinner. Many guys joined Pongpeng. Two stood guard next to the window waiting for Sir to appear  . They switched off the lights and took out all the fuses too. The rest were waiting at the door.

“He’s coming ! He’s coming !” , whispered the guys who saw Sir coming from their position near the window.

Mondira baideo and the other ayahs entered the hostel and were heard complaining about the lights. The guys threatened them to sit quietly in one corner. Rai Sir entered the room and all the guys jumped on him. It was pre-planned that Pongpeng would take the lead so he was given the juicy position of initiating the first blow. He punched Rai Sir from the front. The darkness and the surprise attack shocked Rai Sir. He tumbled to the ground as other joined in. Some kicked him, others threw tin trunks on him. There was so much confusion in the darkness  that no one knew who was beating whom.

Rai Sir punched back and managed to free himself from the web of attackers. He ran out of the hostel in his undie as the lungi he was wearing was stranded behind.

In the darkness, what was heard next was the noisy drumming of the wooden floor due to the guys running frantically to their beds and heavy, tired, tensed breathing as they settled down on their beds.

Minutes later, an angry and shocked Rai Sir returned to hostel armed with his traditional khukri. Baanke Lal and Paani Kumra were with him. Brandishing his sharp khukri he kept screaming,

“Who wants to beat me? Come out ! Come out now !”

The other teachers tried to switch on all the lights but only empty clicking of the switches were heard.

“They have taken out the fuses everywhere !”

Unable to see anything, they made one round  of the whole dorm but no one woke up. And they went back.

The guys were expecting some drama the next day but the authorities acted as if nothing happened. Classes ran as usual and none of the teachers at class said even a word about the incident. Turns out the Managing Director and the Secretary were absent. The Principal, knowing no one feared him at school was waiting for them to return and take control over this sensitive issue. Rai Sir stopped staying in hostel. He was a local of Alubari and started coming to school from home instead.

THE DAY AFTER  OPERATION ESCAPE

There was a meeting at office. Everyone were there, the whole class and their parents, all the teachers, the Managing Director and the Secretary Ma’am.

First Karsen’s father called Karsen and ordered him to narrate to all what happened yesterday. Karsen was silent. Then Tezes’s father called Tezes. Tezes was silent.

Then Damtum’s father’s turn. Again silence.

Then Makyon was called. But he was not silent. Instead of narrating about yesterday’s events he started complaining how the Principal spoke rudely to him when he was sick a month back.

Knowing Makyon’s story was going nowhere close to the purpose of the meeting , Secretary Ma’am told him to sit down. Rika was the next to stand up. The Principal smiled and informed the gathering that Rika got admitted to the school just 4 days back. Everyone laughed. Rika didn’t even know the names of all his classmates and yet had willingly agreed to run away with them.

Damtum’s father told everyone that he couldn’t understand how could his son who rarely went out of the house run away from school. Every parent wanted to tell something about their sons.

The Managing Director asked the guys to decide whether they still wanted to stay or leave the school. Slowly the guys looked at each other, smiled and nodded their heads. Yes, they all would stay. The Director made the guys sign an Undertaking that they wouldn’t repeat any act of indiscipline in future unless they wanted to get expelled. Then they were told to say ‘Sorry’ to Rai Sir one by one. There was a minor hiccup when Bogus tried to disturb the proceedings by arguing that a ‘Sorry’ wouldn’t repair the damage which had already been done. But the parents managed to pacify him.

Meeting over.

It was a happy hostel day again. Kaidang threw a peanut and Tiger biscuit party for the class. Damtum showed his new collection of Tinkle comics and a Chitrahaar Bollywood lyrics book.

Pongpeng’s name was not even discussed in the meeting.

For the rest, the day ended well. They got to channelize their martial arts skills on their hated teacher, spent a day of freedom outside school and yet the school admitted them back with open arms without any punishment.

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